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It is easy to obtain iron on a vegan diet. Why do you think Popeye was so badass? Spinach!

Some might expect that since the vegan diet contains a form of iron that is not that well absorbed, vegans might be prone to developing iron deficiency anemia. However, iron deficiency anemia is no more common among vegetarians than among the general population.

Many commonly eaten plant based foods are high in iron. In fact, if the amount of iron in these foods is expressed as milligrams of iron per 100 calories, many foods eaten by vegans are superior to animal-derived foods. You would have to eat more than 1700 calories of sirloin steak to get the same amount of iron as found in 100 calories of spinach.

Vegan diets are also high in vitamin C. Vitamin C acts to markedly increase absorption of non-heme iron. Many vegetables, such as broccoli and bok choy, which are high in iron, are also high in vitamin C so that the iron in these foods is very well absorbed. Here are some of the best vegan sources for iron:

Soybeans cooked 1 cup - 8.8 (mg)

Blackstrap molasses 2 Tbsp - 7.2 (mg)

Lentils cooked 1 cup - 6.6 (mg)

Spinach cooked 1 cup -6.4 (mg)

Quinoa*ْ cooked 1 cup - 6.3 (mg)

Tofu 4 ounces - 6.0 (mg)

Tempeh 1 cup - 4.8 (mg)

Lima beans cooked 1 cup -4.4 (mg)

Swiss chard cooked 1 cup -4.0 (mg)

Black beans cooked 1 cup - 3.6 (mg)

Pinto beans cooked 1 cup -3.5 (mg)

Turnip greens cooked 1 cup - 3.2 (mg)

Chickpeas cooked 1 cup 3.2 (mg)

Potato 1 large 3.2 (mg)

Kidney beans cooked 1 cup 3.0 (mg)

Prune juice 8 ounces - 3.0 (mg)

Beet greens cooked 1 cup - 2.7 (mg)

Tahini 2 Tbsp - 2.7 (mg)

Peas cooked 1 cup - 2.5 (mg)

Black-eyed peas cooked 1 cup - 2.3 (mg)

Cashews 1/4 cup - 2.1 (mg)

Brussels sprouts cooked 1 cup - 1.9 (mg)

Bok choy cooked 1 cup - 1.8 (mg)

Almonds 1/4 cup - 1.5 (mg)

Apricots dried 15 halves - 1.4 (mg)

Soy yogurt 6 ounces- 1.1 (mg) ‘

Green beans cooked 1 cup - 1.2 (mg)

Kale cooked 1 cup - 1.2 (mg)

Broccoli cooked 1 cup - 1.1 (mg) #vegansofig

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